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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a man attempting to smuggle over 800 pounds of methamphetamine through the Pharr port of entry Wednesday.
Hermelindo Perez Lara was charged with importation of controlled substances, specifically importing nearly 805 pounds of methamphetamine.
He made an initial appearance Thursday in Brownsville federal court.
According to a criminal complaint, Lara, who was the sole occupant and driver of a commercial tractor-trailer, applied for admission at the Pharr port of entry cargo lot.
CBP officers referred Lara to a secondary inspection where 192 wooden bundles wrapped in cellophane were found in a non-factory compartment in the undercarriage of the trailer.
“A sample of the bundles later tested positive for properties of methamphetamine with a weight of approximately 365 kilograms,” the complaint said.
During an interview with authorities, Lara gave inconsistent statements regarding his employment with the trucking company and excluded information regarding people Lara was in contact with.
Lara is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III for his detention hearing next week.
